204 BLACKBIRD. 



of 'Fair Aurora' gild the sky, he hails the glorious sight with 

 a louder and more joyous strain. In dull and cloudy and 

 ungenial weather he is much later in commencing, and is, on 

 the other hand, heard to the greatest advantage when some 

 refreshing summer rain falls upon the thirsty earth, even 

 though the thunder should utterly for the moment drown 

 his voice, and while the lightning flashes its most vivid 

 gleams. On the approach of danger the Blackbird utters, as 

 do several other birds, a peculiar note, which, as indicative 

 of alarm, is at once noticed by even an ordinary observer. 

 In connexion with this subject may here be mentioned a 

 curious occurrence related by Mr. Couch. A weasel, followed 

 by its young ones in training, was seen in eager pursuit 

 of a Blackbird on the wing, and though a very slight 

 elevation in the direction of the flight of the bird would 

 have carried it over a hedge and out of danger, yet so great 

 was its terror, that it was unable to mount so high, and 

 consequently soon became their prey. 



This species pairs in February or March, but occasionally 

 much earlier. Thus in the 'Yorkshire Gazette' of the 8th. 

 of this present January, 1853, it is recorded that a nest with 

 two eggs was found at Brompton, in this county, on the 

 3rd. instant, by D. Ferguson, Esq., of Eedcar. 



The nest is placed in a variety of situations, and is fre- 

 quently found in a heap of sticks, even though placed in an 

 outhouse, or most commonly in a bush; sometimes in a tree 

 against a wall, or in a tree or wall covered with ivy; an 

 instance has been known of its being placed on the stump 

 of a tree, close to the ground, and Sir William Jardine found 

 one on the ground, at the foot of a tree; another was also 

 found in a similar situation, at the foot of a hazel bush, in 

 a wood, by my friend the Rev. W. Waldo Cooper, of West 

 Rasen, Lincolnshire: in the same wood he found another on 

 the stump of a hazel which had been cut down, and from 

 which several stems had grown; it was not raised an inch 

 from the ground, but was quite surrounded by the new 

 branches. Another found on the ground has been recorded 

 in the 'Zoologist,' page 1023, by W. W. Spicer, Esq. Mr. 

 John H. Blundell, of Luton, Bedfordshire, has written me 

 word of his having found the nest in one instance on the 

 ground, in the middle of a large plantation of oaks. It is 

 often placed in a hedge, and is commonly built at a height 

 of three or four feet; also in a hole in a wall or rock. In 



